Improvement in feed-water heaters for locomotives



I -J E. WOOTTEN. Feed-Water Heater for Locomotive.

No. 203,518. Patented May 7,1878.

NJETERS, FHOTO L|THOGRAPHER WASH NGTON D C -UNI D STATES PATIENT-OFFICE.

Jon E. woo'rTEN, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENTIN FEED-WATER HEATERS FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 203,51 8, dated May 7,1878 application filed .March 28, 1878.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN E. WOOTTEN, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Feed-Water Heaters forLocomotives, of which the followin g is a specification:

The object of my invention is to increase the heat of feed-water inlocomotives before it enters the boiler; and this object I attain in themanner which I will now proceed to de' scribe, reference being had tothe accompanyin g drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of alocomotiveboiler with the feed-water heater in section, and Fig. 2 asection on the line 1 2.

' A is the locomotive-boiler, on the side of which is arranged thefeed-water heater, consisting, in the present instance, of a tubularcasing, 13, secured to the front and rear heads D and D. This casingcontains tubes at, which, at one end, pass through a partition ortubesheet, 12, in the head D, and are secured to the same by riveting orotherwise, the opposite ends of the tubes passing through and fittingsnugly, but so as to slide freely in the partition or tube-sheet b ofthe head D.

E is the exhaust-chamber, communicating in one direction with theexhaust-passages of the cylinders, and in the other direction with thevariable exhaust-nozzle F.

There are many different kinds of nozzles the orifices of which can becontracted or expanded by means of devices under the control of theengineer, and any of these may be used in connection with my invention.

The end of the nozzle consists, in the present instance, of elasticstrips 0 of metal arranged in a circle, and overlapping each other, thestrips being so formed, in relation to an opening in a screw-cap, f,that on screwing down the latter the orifice of the nozzle will becontracted, and expanded when the cap is raised. It should be hereunderstood that this is a well-known device, and hence that I neitherclaim nor confine myself to it.

A pipe, G, communicates at one end with a chamber, m, in the head D ofthe heater, and at the other end with the exhaust-chamber E, Withinwhich the pipe is turned down so as to expose its open endm directly tothe course of the exhaust-steam, a portion of which, consecook, 11;,which is under the control of the en gineer, serves to convey the waterof condensation from the chamber m at the rear end of the heater, andalso serves a further purpose, which will be rendered apparenthereinafter.

The heater must necessarily be subjected to variations of temperature,resulting in alternate expansion and contraction, which tubes could notin all cases resist if they were permanentlysecured at both ends.Hencethe rear ends are permitted to slide in the tube-sheet b of thehead D, for a slight leakage at this end of the heater would beimmaterial, such feed-water as may penetrate through the tube sheetaround the tube passing off through the waste-pipe q with the water ofcondensation.

The quantity of exhaust-steam admitted to the heater may be regulated bythe variable exhaust-nozzle, for the more the latter is contracted thegreater will be the volume of exhaust-steam admitted to the heater, theSup.- ply of steam to the latter being diminished as the orifice of thenozzle is expanded.

Thecock to may also be used as a means of regulating the supply of steamadmitted to the heater, and at the same time promoting the economy offuel, for if the condition of the fire is such that more of theexhaust-steam can be spared from the service of promoting draft, thesize of the aperture for the escape of the water of condensation fromthe heater may be increased, in which case a greater volume of steamwill pass through the tubes uncondensed, and consequently the feed-waterwill attain a proportionately higher temperature before it reaches theboiler.

There may be a communication between the steam-space of the boiler andone of the ends of the heater, so that, if desirable, live steam may beused in the said heater in place of or in conjunction withexhaust-steam.

I do not desire to claim, broadly, the combination, in a locomotive, ofthe exhaust-nozzle and a feed=water heater with a pipe for conveyingpart of the exhaust-steam to the said heater; but

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in a locomotive, of afeed-water heater with a pipe terminating within the exhaust-chamber ofthe cylinder, and havingits open end turned downward, and directlyexposed to the upward course of the exhaust-steam in the said chamber,all substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the exhaust-chamber and variable exhaust-nozzle ofa locomotiveengine with a feed-Water heater and a pipe forming acommunication between the said heater and the exhaust-chamber, allsubstantially as specified.

outer casing for receiving the feed-water, a

series of tubes, through which the exhauststeam passes, and two fixedtube-sheets, to one of which are secured the said tubes, which arearranged to slide in the other tube-plate, all as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN E. WOOTTEN.

Witnesses: HARRY A. CRAWFORD, HARRY SMITH.

